RBS - Direct Line Conveyancing Panel Information

The information on this page is designed to keep solicitors and licensed conveyancers abreast of latest requirements changes by RBS - Direct Line and to assist in remaining on the RBS - Direct Line Conveyancing Panel.

RBS - Direct Line Solicitor Panel: Recently Asked Questions

Can a practice register a complaint to the CML about being removed from the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing panel?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders is not a regulator and therefore will not investigate grievances against lenders. You can of course contact Lexsure to see if we can assist.

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RBS - Direct Line wants me to represent them alone on a residential conveyancing matter , using the CML Lender’s Handbook. The borrower has his own solicitor (not on the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing panel) How will this operate and are there different requirements from RBS - Direct Line in this case?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders, along with RBS - Direct Line and other stakeholders created a standard set of requirements where a solicitor is representing a lender such as RBS - Direct Line alone in a residential conveyancing transaction. These obligations are contained at Part Three of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook and are to be read together with Part I and II. The CML have published an example requirements letter to the borrower’s lawyer for adaptation by the lender's conveyancer, and sets out to the borrower's conveyancer, the documentary and information requirements of the lender's panel solicitor.
A recent SRA survey reveals that 76% of solicitors have been removed from a lender conveyancing panel. RBS - Direct Line and other lenders have restricted their panel over the years. Why?
In operating open conveyancing panels, lenders such as RBS - Direct Line face a number of fraud and negligence risks. While there is no authoritative source of data on lender exposure to solicitor–led mortgage fraud, anecdotal evidence from lenders indicates exposure on individual cases are often in the millions of pounds. The National Fraud Authority estimates that £1bn per year is lost in mortgage -related frauds in total, which is seen as a conservative estimate.

These risks are exacerbated by the lack of a comprehensive set of data on all conveyancing firms (which, for the avoidance of doubt, would include solicitors and conveyancers across the UK) which is in a readily accessible format. Currently, lenders vet the suitability of their panel firms against a variety of disparate, incomplete and potentially inaccurate sets of information. One top 5 lender pointed out to us that it is almost impossible to track individual fraudsters who move from firm to firm, especially where they are no longer registered or no longer hold a valid practicing certificate.

RBS - Direct Line and other lenders are in varying stages of reviewing their approach to vetting firms on their conveyancing panels, to ensure their ongoing exposure to unsuitable firms is reduced. There is also regulatory impetus on lenders to ensure that they have satisfactory oversight of their third party panels, including a due-diligence process.

Given that I am the COLP for my firm should I be thinking about SRA Handbook implications if my firm is withdrawn off the RBS - Direct Line solicitor panel?
What you should do largely depends on the reason that your firm has been removed off the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing panel. The top 3 reasons are as follows:
  1. lack of transactions
  2. the lawyer is a sole practitioner
  3. as part of the HSBC panel reduction.
In these three circumstances it is unlikely that you would expected to take any action. Disclosure and other compliance considerations are more likely to be relevant if the reason for removal is due to breaches of lender requirements or allegations of fraud or negligence. Whether the reasoning should trigger a disclosable 'material' breach will depend on the firm and the circumstances around possible failures to comply with the SRA Authorisation Rules, and the SRA will judge each case on its own merits. Factors such as the detriment or risk of detriment to clients, the scale of the issue and overall impact on the firm will need to be considered in deciding whether a failure is 'material'. As the COLP you will need systems to identify patterns of breaches. Even if you don't consider there to be regulatory implications the firms COFA should give some thought to whether she/he needs to take any action as result of being removed from the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing panel.
I noticed the following question on my PI renewal form this year ‘Has your Firm been asked by a lender to agree to more onerous terms and conditions than provided for in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook?’ My firm is on a number of bank panels including the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing panel. We have Terms and Conditions of appointment which we have to follow. Do I disclose these these Terms ?
The key here is the caveat ‘more onerous’. You have to try and take an objective view as to whether the Terms relating to the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing appointment (or other terms for other lenders) are ‘more onerous’ than the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Conditions. Depending on the Terms you may need to provide details on your renewal form. If you are in any doubt please call your broker to discuss before moving forward on this question.
We had our RBS - Direct Line panel membership revoked but we have not yet been given an explanation yet. I am completing a CQS application questionnaire what information should I report?
In this situation please clarify on the form what steps you have taken to discover the reasons behind cancellation of your RBS - Direct Line panel status. In particular please provide details if you have received communications from the lender. E.G. before termination of your panel membership did you receive any letters or calls from the lender advising you as to their reasons?
Our practice is on the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing panel and due to complete a purchase shortly. My papers do not include a Legal Charge for the client to execute. Who do I contact at RBS - Direct Line to get a duplicate Deed?
You would be advised to contact RBS - Direct Line to obtain standard documents. The CML Handbook incorporates an explicit question for banks to enumerate who to contact to obtain standard documents. RBS - Direct Line in their Part 2’s state:
It helps to disclose your RBS - Direct Line solicitors panel reference.

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Average number of days to register title including a charge in favour of RBS - Direct Line
This information relates to purchase only and not remortgages.
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2025 [no data]
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* Data aggregated from sources including COMPLETIONmonitor